He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The morning mist, like a thin veil, shrouded the gray bricks and tiles of the alley. He Yuyang carried two buckets of water back from the well, water droplets sloshing from the rims falling onto the bluestone slabs, leaving a small, dark stain. Just as she reached the courtyard gate, she saw Grandpa Wang standing there, looking around with a bulging bamboo basket on his back. She wondered what was inside.

"Uncle Wang, you were looking for me?" He Yuyang put down the water bucket and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Grandpa Wang turned around, the wrinkles on his face particularly clear in the morning light. He nodded, his voice a little hoarse: "Yu Yang, is it convenient for you to come inside and say a few words?"

He Yuyang was puzzled, but still stepped aside to let him in: "Please come in, I'll make you a pot of hot water."

Grandpa Wang waved his hand: "No need to trouble yourself, I just want to say a few words." He put the bamboo basket on the stone table in the yard, took out something wrapped in oilcloth from his pocket, unwrapped it layer by layer, revealing a yellowed piece of hemp paper with crooked lines drawn on it and some blurry place names marked on it.

"This is..." He Yuyang took a closer look and realized it was a map. The edges were worn and some of the writing was blurred by water stains, but it could be roughly seen that it was the terrain of the suburbs. Several red lines extended out from different directions, all pointing to the same blurry mark.

"This is a map of the suburbs." Grandpa Wang pointed to one of the red lines with his rough fingers. "Back when my son was alive, he followed the troops to fight as a guerrilla. This was the secret route they took, which allowed them to bypass the Japanese sentries and go straight into the mountains."

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. He was worried about how to safely deliver the supplies from his spatial storage to the base—the last black market transaction had made him realize that there were too many eyes and ears in the city, and open transportation was too dangerous, but if he had this covert route…

"Sir, what's wrong...?"

Grandpa Wang sighed, his gaze drifting into the distance as if recalling something: "A few days ago, I went to the martial arts school to watch Zhu Zi's match, and I overheard Master Zhou talking to someone about how you've been sending things to 'friends in the mountains.' I may be old, but I'm not senile. I know who those 'friends in the mountains' are."

He paused, picked up the map, and gently placed it in He Yuyang's hand: "My son sacrificed himself to protect these routes back then. He said that as long as the supplies could be delivered and the Japanese were driven away, his life would not have been in vain. This map is a keepsake, but giving it to you might actually come in handy."

He Yuyang held the map in his hand; the rough texture of the paper felt like sandpaper, yet it burned his palms. He knew about Grandpa Wang's son—he had heard that he had joined the army in his early years and sacrificed his life while covering the evacuation of the masses. Grandpa Wang had lived alone ever since, usually quiet and reserved, but always ready to lend a helping hand to his neighbors in need.

"Sir, this is far too valuable..."

"What's so valuable about it?" Old Wang interrupted him, his eyes glistening with tears. "Its purpose is to be useful. My son would be happy if he knew." He patted He Yuyang's arm, quite firmly. "You young people dare to rush forward, we old folks can't just stand by and watch. Be careful on the road, the Japanese have recently increased their guards on the outskirts of the city. There's an abandoned cave near the crooked tree marked on the red line; you can hide there."

He Yuyang's nose tingled with emotion. She carefully folded the map and tucked it into her bosom: "Grandpa, thank you. Our family will remember this kindness."

"What gratitude? It's all for the sake of living a peaceful life." Old Wang picked up his bamboo basket. "I have a few pounds of dried wild vegetables in this basket, to nourish your mother. Don't be polite with me, or I'll disown you as a young man."

Watching Grandpa Wang's hunched back disappear around the corner of the alley, He Yuyang gripped the map in his arms tightly. This weighty trust gave him more strength than any material aid.

Back inside, he spread the map on the kang table and studied it carefully by the light streaming in through the window. The route marked with red lines was indeed hidden, mostly following river channels and mountain streams, avoiding main roads. Several key nodes were marked with small marks—the crooked tree and abandoned cave dwelling that Grandpa Wang had mentioned were all on it, and there was even a cave that could be used to temporarily hide goods, in an extremely treacherous location.

"This route is crucial," He Yuyang muttered to himself. The grain in his space was already piled up like a mountain—the batch he intercepted from the grain shop last time hadn't been touched yet, and he had accelerated the ripening of several batches at night. All in all, it was enough to feed a million people for three months, along with a considerable amount of cloth, medicine, and ironware. It should have been sent out long ago; all that was missing was a reliable route.

He put the map away and made up his mind: he would set off tonight.

As night fell, the alley was quiet except for the chirping of insects. Under the moonlight, He Yuyang quietly sorted the supplies in his spatial storage—food was placed separately, medicine and cloth were bundled into bags, and ironware was tied with straw rope, all piled on the outermost edge of the storage space for easy access. He didn't tell his family, only leaving a note saying he was going to the martial arts school to help his master and would be back in three to five days.

"Why isn't my brother back yet?" He Yuzhu lay on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the moon outside the window. "Did something happen?"

Liu Yan patted his head, trying to remain calm: "Your brother is reliable, nothing will happen. Let's go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow." But her heart was pounding with anxiety.

He Yuyang had already left the city. Instead of going through the city gate, he went around to the abandoned sluice gate he had found earlier, trudging through the still-wet snow towards the outskirts of the city. Moonlight shone on the snow, reflecting a cold light that illuminated the winding mountain road ahead.

He carried an empty bundle, looking like he was fleeing a disaster, but in reality, all his supplies were in his spatial storage. Following the map's guidance, he deliberately chose secluded paths, and when he encountered a fork in the road, he would refer to the markings on the map—Grandpa Wang's markings were very special, either a strangely shaped rock or a crooked tree, which could be recognized at a glance even at night.

After walking for about two hours, a dark forest appeared ahead, marked on the map as being nearby with the "Crooked Neck Tree." He Yuyang slowed his pace and, sure enough, saw an old locust tree at the edge of the forest, its trunk leaning to one side like a hunched old man. He went around to the back of the tree and found a cave hidden by vines. The entrance was small, only allowing one person to bend down and enter.

"Grandpa Wang was right." He felt a little more at ease and went into the cave to rest. The cave was dry, and he could still smell a faint smell of smoke, as if someone had been there not long ago. He took out a cornbread from his storage space, ate a few bites with cold water, and leaned against the cave wall to close his eyes and rest.

After an unknown amount of time, several hoots of owls came from outside—this was the pre-arranged signal. He Yuyang perked up, took out his short knife, and quietly walked to the cave entrance to peek out.

Under the moonlight, several figures dressed in coarse military uniforms were walking towards them. The leader was a young man carrying a rifle, none other than Xiao Li. They clearly recognized He Yuyang as well, and quickened their pace.

"Brother He, you've finally arrived!" Xiao Li said in a low voice, his eyes full of excitement. "Brother Wang said you'd be arriving tonight, and we've been waiting for almost an hour."

"We were delayed on the way." He Yuyang came out of the cave. "Everything is ready. It's in the cave ahead. Follow me."

He led the group towards the cave where the goods were hidden, marked on the map. Whenever they encountered a sentry's light, they quickly hid in the bushes, narrowly escaping discovery several times, only escaping danger thanks to the concealed spots marked on the map. Seeing how familiar he seemed with the place, Xiao Li couldn't help but ask, "Brother He, how do you know this place so well?"

"I got the map from a friend," He Yuyang said without elaborating. "We're here."

The cave was hidden beneath a cliff, its entrance covered by thick snow, making it almost invisible without careful observation. He Yuyang brushed away the snow, revealing the dark entrance: "They're all inside. Take a count."

Xiao Li led his men inside and soon they let out an uncontrollable gasp. By the light of the kerosene lamp, the cave was filled with supplies—bags of flour and cornmeal piled up to the top of the cave, cloth and medicine neatly bundled, and ironware gleaming in the corners.

"My goodness... so much!" a young soldier exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Enough to feed our base for half a year!"

Xiao Li was so excited his hands were trembling as he grabbed He Yuyang's hand: "Brother He, thank you so much! With these, we can pull off a brilliant ambush!"

"It's all part of the job." He Yuyang patted him on the shoulder. "The Japanese have been reinforcing their troops in the suburbs recently, so be careful when you're transporting them. It's best to go in several batches, following the route I came from, and avoiding those sentry posts." He took out a map and marked the key points. "Keep this map; it might come in handy."

Xiao Li carefully took the map, as if holding a priceless treasure: "Brother He, don't worry, we'll be careful. By the way, Brother Wang asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that our spies in the city have found out that Manager Huang is getting close to the Japanese, so please be careful at home."

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat: "I understand. You guys hurry up and move it, I need to get back to the city before dawn."

He didn't stay to help, fearing that too many people would expose his identity. Watching Xiao Li and the others begin moving supplies, he turned and disappeared into the night. The return journey seemed shorter; as dawn broke, he had already made his way back to the city through the sluice gate. The alley was quiet, save for the early-rising sparrows hopping about on the branches.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, I saw He Yuzhu sitting on the threshold, his eyes red, clearly having waited all night.

"Brother! You're back!" He Yuzhu rushed over, hugged his arm, and tears streamed down her face. "I thought you..."

"Silly boy, why are you crying?" He Yuyang ruffled his hair. "I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

The lights came on inside, and Liu Yan and He Daqing came out. Seeing him return safely, Liu Yan covered her mouth, tears streaming silently down her face. He Daqing patted his back, his voice choked with emotion, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back."

He Yuyang felt a warmth in her heart and said with a smile, "Mom, I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"

At breakfast, He Yuyang told his family about Manager Huang's matter: "Dad, you should quit your job at the grain shop tomorrow. Just say that Mom is not well and needs someone to take care of her. She can't stay there anymore."

He Daqing nodded: "I know, I've long wanted to stop serving that yellow-skinned dog. It's just that if I quit my job, our family's income..."

"Dad, don't worry." He Yuyang put a piece of pickled vegetable into his bowl. "I've talked to my master. I'll take on a few apprentices at the martial arts school in the future. That should earn me some money to eat. Plus, I do some small business on the side. That should be enough."

He didn't mention the space; it was his biggest secret, one he couldn't let anyone know, not even his family—in chaotic times, secrets are the safest protection.

After dinner, He Yuyang went to the martial arts gym. Zhou Zhengguo was practicing boxing in the backyard. Seeing him arrive, he stopped and asked, "Did you deliver the goods?"

"Yes, the handover went smoothly." He Yuyang told him about Grandpa Wang giving him the map. "Thanks to Grandpa Wang, otherwise it would have been really difficult."

Zhou Zhengguo sighed, "Uncle Wang was a good man, and his son was a real man back then... We must remember this kindness." He handed He Yuyang a cloth bag, "This was sent by someone from the base area, they said it's for you."

Upon opening it, he found a jade pendant inside. It was of ordinary quality, but very smoothly polished, with the character "安" (An) engraved on it. He Yuyang recognized it as a unique mark of the base area, a token given to supporters.

"They also said that once they've driven the Japanese away, they'll definitely invite you to the base area for a victory celebration," Zhou Zhengguo said with a smile.

"We'll definitely have a celebratory drink, but not now." He Yuyang carefully put away the jade pendant. "Keep an eye on Manager Huang. I'm worried he might do something rash and cause trouble for the family."

"Don't worry, I've already had someone keeping an eye on him," Zhou Zhengguo said in a deep voice. "If he dares to have any ulterior motives, I'll make him regret it."

After leaving the martial arts school, He Yuyang made a detour to Grandpa Wang's house. The old man was chopping firewood in the yard, his movements slow but powerful. He Yuyang walked over and took the axe from him: "Grandpa, let me do it."

Grandpa Wang didn't stand on ceremony. He sat on the threshold, smoking his pipe, and watched the young man's nimble movements. A smile appeared on his lips: "Young man, you're really strong."

"Grandpa, my mother really enjoyed the wild vegetables you gave me last time. She said she'd like to ask you for the recipe on how to dry them," He Yuyang said while chopping firewood.

"What's so difficult about that?" Grandpa Wang perked up. "You have to choose a sunny day, wash the wild vegetables clean, let them air dry until they're half-dry, and then sun-dry them. Don't expose them to direct sunlight, or they'll become tough..."

Sunlight filtered through the branches, falling warmly on the two of them. The chopped firewood was neatly piled in the corner, like a small fortress. He Yuyang knew there wasn't much he could do, but at least he could ensure the old man could live a more peaceful life in his later years—just as the old man said, it was all for the sake of a peaceful life.

When they got home, He Yuzhu was teaching He Yushui to "read"—actually, he was just using a small stick to draw crooked lines on the ground, muttering, "This is one, this is two." Liu Yan was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) doing needlework, sunlight streaming through the window onto her face, a faint smile on her face. He Daqing was mending old fishing nets, preparing to try his luck at the river when the weather warmed up.

He Yuyang leaned against the doorframe, watching this scene with a sense of peace. The food in the space was still growing, the comrades in the base area had supplies to fight more battles, their families were safe, and the neighbors were harmonious. This was perhaps the most precious sight in a chaotic world.

He touched the map in his pocket—he had memorized it, and burned the original to avoid leaving any trace. He then touched the jade pendant with the character "An" on it; the cool jade seemed to carry warmth.

The road ahead is long, the Japanese invaders haven't been driven out yet, and life will still be difficult. But he's not afraid, because he's not fighting alone. With the support of his family, the companionship of his comrades, and people like Grandpa Wang who quietly dedicate themselves, he'll eventually reach the dawn.

The evening glow painted half the sky red, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of the alleyways. He Yuyang knew that a new battle had just begun. But he was ready, carrying the expectations of his family, the trust of his comrades, and the weighty reward he would receive, to move forward step by step until he ushered in true peace.